Just when everyone thought smartphone design had plateaued and even Apple wasn’t able to deliver anything unique, Xiaomi unveils the Mi Mix, an ultra-futuristic concept smartphone. The Mi Mix is a gorgeous giant of a phone at 6.4 inches, though we can’t help but feel Xiaomi made it that large just to show off the fact that it can produce a bezel-less phone with a whopping 91.3 per cent screen-to-body ratio. Xiaomi has built a phone that has likely preempted what its competition is working at for their next (or even later) generation of flagships.

Still not appreciating that screen-to-body ratio? The iPhone 7 Plus is less than 70 per cent. In the same size of phone, the Mi Mix gets you 25 per cent more display real estate

The back of the device and buttons on the side are made of ceramic and the display is curved on all edges, not like the Mi Note 2, similar to the kind of concept displays Sharp has been working on for years. Because the screen takes up practically the entire front of the phone, all the usual sensors you have at the top have been removed. The proximity sensor has been replaced with ultrasound, the earpiece has been replaced with a piezoelectric speaker that uses the metal frame to generate sound. Selfie lovers shouldn’t fear; the front-facing camera has been moved to the bottom right of the phone and of course you can turn it around to take your selfies the way you like.

The selfie camera is on the bottom of the device – an unconventional move on Xiaomi’s part

Now for more conventional specs following such an unconventional start: the phone is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 821, has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The image of the phone suggests it’ll come with dual sim, which isn’t surprising from Chinese manufacturers. The Mi Mix will also offer a higher-end version with 6GB of RAM and 256GB storage with gold accents around the camera and fingerprint sensor placed on the rear. The battery is a sizeable 4,400mAh with a 16MP rear camera that comes with phase-detect autofocus.

Did we mention the brains behind the design is renowned French designer Philippe Starck? The Mi Mix may not carry his usual design flair but even if Xiaomi just needed him to say “lets go with as much screen as possible”, we think it’s a job well done, Philippe. Xiaomi says the Mi Mix will launch on November 4 in China. Considering Xiaomi calls it a concept, we can only assume limited pieces will make it to the market. Our fingers are crossed for this beautiful device to make its way to our shores, even if only for a glimpse.